I say: If you don’t know how to cook, I’m sure you have at least one friend who knows how to cook. Well, call that friend and say, ’Can I come next time and can I bring some food and can I come an hour or two hours ahead and watch you and help you?’

Pépin frames cooking as a learnable, social craft rather than a mysterious talent. Instead of recommending formal training or expensive tools, he urges apprenticeship in the oldest sense: show up early, observe closely, and help with real tasks. The quote also treats hospitality as reciprocal—bringing food and offering labor respects the host while turning a dinner invitation into a shared project. Implicitly, Pépin argues that confidence in the kitchen grows through proximity to competent cooks and repeated practice, and that community is a practical resource for self-improvement.